Introduction
In the fast-paced digital world, just building an app is not enough; it’s getting to the users that is key to your growth. For developers, marketers and founders alike, visibility has a large impact on your app’s success. App Store Optimization (ASO) and Application SEO are two descriptors that are often confused, and both have showed me that they are great tools for growth. ASO is about improving your application’s visibility ranking in app stores, and Application SEO is about making sure the content in your application is highlighted in web search results. In this post we describe one from the other to shed light on how they work, as well as which one may be the best fit for your goals. Getting excited about figuring out how to unlock your app? Me too! Let’s take a closer look.
1. What is App Store Optimization (ASO)?
App Store Optimization (ASO) will help you improve your app tell it’s visibility ranking in app stores like the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Some might call it the sibling of search engine optimization – just for apps basically. The theme is the same – more organic downloads. In the realm of organic downloads ASO will examine things like your app title and subtitle, keywords to target, the design of your icon, your screenshots, your preview video, and possibly the users ratings and reviews. Each of these parts ultimately persuade a user to click install, and platforms like AppTweak, Sensor Tower, and App Radar help decode these measurable metrics. Nail your ASO, and watch those download numbers rise!
2. What is Application SEO (Web App SEO)?
Application SEO is the practice of improving the chances of your app website or web application showing up in search engines, like Google, Bing, etc., as search results. While ASO focuses on app store searches for your app, Application SEO is in line to get your app into organic Google search results. Organic search is essential for increasing awareness and ultimately going traffic to your application. Application SEO includes page title optimization, and meta tagging, structured data, crawlability and indexability optimization, front-end optimization for page speed and mobile optimization, and more. These elements of Application SEO help search engines index and rank your pages. Application SEO also allows the use of tools (like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, and Ahrefs) to monitor and analyze performance and identify opportunities for optimization.
3. Key Differences Between ASO and Application SEO
Platform
ASO: App Store Optimization is focused on improving visibility and rankings in app stores like Google Play and Apple App Store. Application SEO focuses on increasing visibility and rankings for web search engines, such as Google and Bing, providing an opportunity for your app website or web-app to show up in the organic search results bringing even more audience traffic than ASO captures.
Audience Behavior
ASO focuses on optimizing for people who are actively searching for apps, often in an intent to download those apps from the app store. Application SEO focuses on users who are searching for some type of content, answer, or tool they may be unaware of (the app), so there is opportunity to bring top-of-funnel users in through an informational search query or problem-solving search query.
Optimization Focus
ASO concentrates on titles, keywords, and creative materials such as app icons and screenshots to entice users from within app stores. Application SEO focuses on meta-tags, quality content, and other components of technical SEO like sitemaps and page speed to improve a site’s visibility and search performance in a web search engine.
Measurement Tools
You can track ASO success with app analytics platforms and ASO dedicated tools such as AppTweak or Sensor Tower. For Application SEO, marketers generally use Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and SEO tools such as Ahrefs or Screaming Frog to measure traffic, identify crawl issues, and keyword performance across websites.
Ranking Factors
ASO ranking are determined through measures of app installs, user ratings, reviews, and engagement metrics. Application SEO importance is measured through backlinks, content relevance, site health, and technical SEO components such as mobile optimization and page loading speed which are critical components to send signals to search engine algorithms when assessing ranking position.
4. When to Focus on ASO vs. SEO (or Both)
Knowing when to focus on ASO vs. SEO depends on the type of application you are marketing and the ultimate goals. If you operate as a standalone mobile app ASO should be your focus in order to improve visibility in app stores and spur downloads. If you run a web-based application or SaaS platform, search engine optimization is crucial to converting users by getting them to your web app through search engines and improving organic traffic through your site. However, the best approach will usually be a hybrid approach. For example, if you created a fitness application with an amazing landing page and blog, you could drive installs from the app store by utilizing ASO, while simultaneously using SEO to capture consumers searching for workout tips around the web to maximize your exposure.
5. Final Thoughts: Building a Complete Discovery Strategy
With today’s competitive digital landscape, you cannot exclusively rely on ASO or SEO. You need a unified strategy that encompasses both, as this ensures that your app is visible wherever your audience is searching, whether that be in the app store or on Google. Having a comprehensive strategy helps to drive app downloads, as well as web traffic while allowing you to harness the more sustainable practice of earning authority with Google and other web search engines. Here at The Cogent, we specialize in both App Store Optimization, and Application SEO, and helping to grow businesses using smarter, data-driven discovery strategies. Ready to maximize your reach? Contact us today and let us power your success with our personalized ASO and SEO services.
FAQs:
App Store Optimization (ASO) is all about improving the visibility and downloads of your application, through app stores such as Google Play and the Apple App Store. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is focused on improving the presence of a website / web app within a search engine results page. They serve different platforms but both commonalities include improving discoverability and engagement.
Absolutely! SEO can optimize landing pages, blogs, and backlinks to drive traffic to your app. This improves your ASO by driving traffic and awareness outside apps, especially Google search and content marketing.
Not directly. Google does not use app store rankings or reviews in web search algorithms, so great ASO won’t directly help improve SEO. However, great ASO can help indirectly improve your brand awareness and search volume. Using ASO to improve engagement and branded searches can help improve related web pages and their site type in SEO rankings.
Yes and no, it ultimately depends on the type of app and what the objectives with the app are. ASO is definitely useful for mobile apps in the app store, whereas SEO is useful for app stores or landing pages that have a website version of the app. The best answer is to use both maximally with the same strategy to drive traffic, awareness, and downloads in both search engines and app marketplaces.
Definitely! The Cogent specializes not only in ASO but Application SEO also. We create custom digital marketing strategies that include optimizing app listings and web content to improve visibility, downloads, and conversion rates. Whether you’re targeting success on app stores, Google, or both, our integrated digital marketing team helps you grow with smart, results-driven strategies.
